The Janata Dal (United) did not even contest the assembly elections in Delhi and yet Tuesday’s results added a crusading fervour to its leader Nitish Kumar’s tone as he talked to reporters in Patna when it became clear that the Bharatiya Janata Party had been crushed by the Aam Aadmi Party in the capital.
“Hawabazi se kaam nahi chalega (Lofty talk alone won’t work),” he said taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Bihar will be the next destination where the BJP will face similar results.”
In the evening, Nitish Kumar left for Delhi – along with the supporting MLAs of the JD(U), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and Communist Party of India – to parade them at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Wednesday. The move is aimed at putting pressure on Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who has not yet invited Nitish Kumar to form the government despite him producing a letter of support of 130 legislators (13 more than the required 117).
Nitish Kumar’s delight was multi-layered. To be sure, the crisis in the state originated from a showdown between incumbent Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and him. But it is also true that Manjhi would not have gone so openly against his party had it not been for the support he received from the BJP.
Despite being sacked from the JD(U), Manjhi has refused to resign as chief minister and instead sought time from the governor to prove his majority on the floor of the House.
Quiet in BJP camp
On Tuesday while the JD(U) and RJD leaders remained aggressive, those belonging to the BJP almost went into hiding, generally refusing to answer journalists’ phone calls.
The evaporation of the aura of invincibility built around Modi since he swept the Lok Sabha elections in May 2014 created such uncertainty in the BJP that it seemingly lost the enthusiasm to keep fuelling the political crisis in Bihar. Eager until Monday to precipitate the crisis and force an early assembly election in Bihar, the BJP suddenly started rethinking its strategy.
“Winning power in states like Bihar is critical not just to capture the Hindi belt but also to increase our party’s strength in the Rajya Sabha,” said a BJP leader on condition of anonymity. “The loss in Delhi has demoralised our workers nationwide. We need some time to reenergise our workers in the state.”
Shift in attack
On top of this, the Delhi results have opened up new possibilities in Bihar, with the saffron party becoming more image-conscious. From now on it is possible that the BJP may restrict itself to playing the role of the opposition and not try to destabilise the government, although there were rumours on Tuesday that Tripathi has given Manjhi till February 20 to prove majority.
In this ferment, Nitish Kumar is likely to be the obvious beneficiary. It was this realisation of his gains that led Nitish Kumar to shift the target of his attack from Manjhi to the BJP as soon as the saffron party’s failure in Delhi became apparent.
“It appears that Manjhi has got a horse-trading licence after he met Modi in Delhi,” he said, referring to the chief minister’s meeting with the prime minister in Delhi on Sunday. “A delay on the part of the governor to invite us to form the next government will provide opportunity for horse-trading.”
The crisis in Bihar is yet to be resolved but it has mellowed under the shadow of Delhi.
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“Hawabazi se kaam nahi chalega (Lofty talk alone won’t work),” he said taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Bihar will be the next destination where the BJP will face similar results.”
In the evening, Nitish Kumar left for Delhi – along with the supporting MLAs of the JD(U), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and Communist Party of India – to parade them at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Wednesday. The move is aimed at putting pressure on Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who has not yet invited Nitish Kumar to form the government despite him producing a letter of support of 130 legislators (13 more than the required 117).
Nitish Kumar’s delight was multi-layered. To be sure, the crisis in the state originated from a showdown between incumbent Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and him. But it is also true that Manjhi would not have gone so openly against his party had it not been for the support he received from the BJP.
Despite being sacked from the JD(U), Manjhi has refused to resign as chief minister and instead sought time from the governor to prove his majority on the floor of the House.
Quiet in BJP camp
On Tuesday while the JD(U) and RJD leaders remained aggressive, those belonging to the BJP almost went into hiding, generally refusing to answer journalists’ phone calls.
The evaporation of the aura of invincibility built around Modi since he swept the Lok Sabha elections in May 2014 created such uncertainty in the BJP that it seemingly lost the enthusiasm to keep fuelling the political crisis in Bihar. Eager until Monday to precipitate the crisis and force an early assembly election in Bihar, the BJP suddenly started rethinking its strategy.
“Winning power in states like Bihar is critical not just to capture the Hindi belt but also to increase our party’s strength in the Rajya Sabha,” said a BJP leader on condition of anonymity. “The loss in Delhi has demoralised our workers nationwide. We need some time to reenergise our workers in the state.”
Shift in attack
On top of this, the Delhi results have opened up new possibilities in Bihar, with the saffron party becoming more image-conscious. From now on it is possible that the BJP may restrict itself to playing the role of the opposition and not try to destabilise the government, although there were rumours on Tuesday that Tripathi has given Manjhi till February 20 to prove majority.
In this ferment, Nitish Kumar is likely to be the obvious beneficiary. It was this realisation of his gains that led Nitish Kumar to shift the target of his attack from Manjhi to the BJP as soon as the saffron party’s failure in Delhi became apparent.
“It appears that Manjhi has got a horse-trading licence after he met Modi in Delhi,” he said, referring to the chief minister’s meeting with the prime minister in Delhi on Sunday. “A delay on the part of the governor to invite us to form the next government will provide opportunity for horse-trading.”
The crisis in Bihar is yet to be resolved but it has mellowed under the shadow of Delhi.
